Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

(1). Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached (ii):

            BlackRock Income Strategies Trust plc

(2). Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: ( )

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached: ( )

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments: ( )

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: ( )

Other (please specify) : (X) CHANGE TO THE NUMBER OF VOTING RIGHTS IN ISSUE

(3). Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation (iii):

            Aviva plc & its subsidiaries

(4). Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.) (iv):

            Registered Holder:
            Available on Request                           660,240*
            State Street Nominees Limited           34,812,886*
                        * denotes direct interest
            Chase Nominees Limited                     56,400
            Vidacos Nominees Limited                  99,630

(5). Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached (v):

            4 April 2016

(6). Date on which issuer notified:

            5 April 2016 (received on 11 April 2016)

(7). Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached (vi, vii):

            12% to 13% Change at Direct Interest Level

(8). Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares (viii, ix):

Class/type of shares (if possible using the ISIN code):  GB0001297562

Situation previous to the triggering transaction:
     Number of Shares:  35,662,590
     Number of Voting rights:  35,662,590

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction:
     Number of shares (Direct):  35,629,156

     Number of voting rights:
          Direct (xi):  35,473,126
          Indirect (xii):  156,030

% of voting rights (x):
     Direct:  13.02%
     Indirect:  0.06%

B. Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction:

Type of financial instrument:  

Expiration date (xiii):  

Exercise/Conversion Period (xiv): 

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/converted:  

% of voting rights:  

C. Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments (xv, xvi)

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument: 

Exercise price: 

Expiration date (xvii): 

Exercise/Conversion period (xviii): 

Number of voting rights instrument refers to: 

% of voting rights (xix, xx):
     Nominal:
     Delta:

Total (A + B + C):

Number of voting rights:  35,629,156

Percentage of voting rights:  13.08%

(9). Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable (xxi):

The voting rights are managed and controlled by Aviva Investors Global Services Limited and Friends Provident International Limited, with the following chain of controlled undertakings:
 

Aviva Investors Global Services Limited:
- Aviva plc (Parent Company)
- Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc)
- Aviva Investors Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited)
- Aviva Investors Global Services Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Investors Holdings Limited)

Friends Provident International Limited:
- Aviva plc (Parent Company)
- Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc)
- Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited)
- Friends Life FPG Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited)
- Friends Life FPL Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPG Limited)
- Friends Life Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPL Limited)
- Friends Life and Pensions Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life Limited)
- Friends Provident International Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life and Pensions Limited)

(10). Name of the proxy holder:

            See section 4

(11). Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

           

(12). Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

           

(13). Additional information:

            Figures are based on a total number of voting rights of 272,507,282 as per the Company’s   Transaction in Own Shares Announcement of 4 April 2016.

(14). Contact name:

            Ms S Beynsberger
            For BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
            Secretary

(15). Contact telephone number:

            020 7743 2639

11 April 2016